Chasing Shadows

Chapter Seventy-Four: Turning the Tide

The weeks following their argument were nothing short of tense. Zane had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Rhea, avoiding her at every turn. He'd show up late to meetings, bury himself in solo missions, and leave the base whenever he wasn't needed, clearly doing everything in his power to limit his interactions with her. And Rhea-despite her frustration-had given him space. She thought it was just a matter of time before Zane would come to his senses, but as the days turned into weeks, it became apparent that this wasn't something he would simply 'get over.'

She hadn't seen him like this in years. Cold. Distant. As if he were shutting her out entirely. It wasn't like Zane to hold a grudge, and while she still hated the idea of him being with Ethan, it was becoming obvious that her disapproval was hurting him more than she'd anticipated.

She couldn't keep pretending it didn't matter. Even if she loathed the situation, losing Zane would be worse.

Finally, she decided it was time to do something about it.

---

The low hum of the computer filled the room as Rhea approached the back office. The door was slightly ajar, and she could see Zane sitting at the desk, his gaze fixed on the multiple screens in front of him. A thick tension seemed to hang in the air, the kind that came from days of silence and unresolved emotions. Zane didn't look up as she entered; his fingers continued to tap across the keys, his expression calm but focused.

"Zane," Rhea started softly, leaning against the doorway.

He didn't respond.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and moved closer, watching him work in silence for a moment before speaking again. "How's Ethan?"

That made him pause. Zane's fingers stilled, and he slowly turned his head, brows furrowing in confusion as he looked at her. "What?"

"You heard me." Rhea folded her arms, meeting his gaze steadily. "How is he?"

Zane's eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing in their depths. "Why do you care?"

"I just-" Rhea hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I just want to know how he's doing."

"He's fine," Zane replied curtly, turning back to the screen. "Not that it's any of your business."

Rhea exhaled slowly, frustration prickling at the edge of her composure. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you, Zane. Don't shut me out."

Zane's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away from the screen. "Why? So you can lecture me again? Tell me I'm making a mistake?"

"No," Rhea said firmly. "I'm not here to lecture you."

Zane glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, clearly skeptical. "Then what do you want?"

"I want..." She hesitated, then sighed. "I want to talk. To understand. I want to support you, Zane, even if it's not something I agree with."

That caught his attention. Slowly, Zane turned in his chair, folding his arms over his chest as he faced her fully. "Support me?" he repeated, disbelief coloring his tone. "Since when?"

"Since I realized that I'm losing you," Rhea admitted quietly. "I didn't like it. I still don't. But I can't keep pretending that ignoring it will make it go away."

Zane's gaze softened slightly, but his guard was still up. "So, what? You suddenly decided to accept it? Just like that?"

"No," Rhea said honestly. "It wasn't sudden. It took time. I had to... reconcile a lot of things in my head."

He snorted softly, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'll bet."

"Look, Zane." She took a step closer, meeting his gaze with earnest eyes. "I don't like Ethan. I don't like the idea of you being with him. But... I like seeing you miserable even less."

Zane's shoulders tensed, and for a moment, Rhea thought he was going to brush her off again. But then he sighed, leaning back in his chair, his expression a mixture of resignation and weariness. "You really hate it that much?"

Rhea gave a small, rueful smile. "Yes. But that's my problem, not yours."

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, the air thick with unspoken words. Then Zane shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I don't get it. You're the last person I expected to come around on this."

"Neither did I," she admitted, her voice softer now. "But I can't keep pushing you away because I don't like the person you're with."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "So... what? You're just gonna accept it?"

Rhea shrugged, a faint smile touching her lips. "Maybe not accept. Tolerate. For now. I still think you're an idiot for choosing him, but..." She paused, looking away. "You're my friend, Zane. I want you to be happy, even if it's with him."

He stared at her for a moment longer, then let out a breathless laugh, the sound almost incredulous. "Wow. I didn't think I'd live to see the day when you said something like that."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Rhea muttered, but there was no real heat in her voice.

They fell into a more comfortable silence then, the tension between them easing slightly. Rhea glanced at the screens, the complicated graphs and charts displaying a series of plans that were far beyond her immediate understanding.

"What are you working on?" she asked, nodding at the monitors.

"Some adjustments to the patrol routes," Zane replied, turning back to the computer. "Trying to predict where Ethan might run into trouble."

"Ethan and Asher, huh?" Rhea's lips quirked into a half-smile. "So you're looking out for him."

"Don't start," Zane muttered, though there was no real bite to his words.

"I'm not starting anything." She watched him for a moment, then shook her head with a soft sigh. "You really like him, don't you?"

Zane stiffened, his gaze dropping to the keyboard. "Yeah," he murmured quietly. "I do."

Rhea nodded slowly, as if absorbing that truth. Then she reached out, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder. "I hope he's worth it."

He glanced up at her, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Rhea..."

She smiled faintly, squeezing his shoulder before letting go. "I may not like it, but I'm still your friend, Zane. And I want you to be happy. Just... don't shut me out, okay?"

Zane hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Good." She straightened, casting one last glance at the screens before turning towards the door. "And for what it's worth... I'm sorry."

Zane blinked, confusion and a hint of wariness crossing his face. "For what?"

"For making you feel like you had to choose between us," Rhea said softly. "That wasn't fair."

He stared at her for a long moment, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Well... I guess I wasn't exactly fair to you, either."

Rhea's smile widened just a fraction. "Guess we both messed up, huh?"

"Yeah," Zane agreed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Guess we did."

With a nod, Rhea turned and left the room, leaving Zane alone with his thoughts.

As the door closed behind her, Zane leaned back in his chair, letting out a long breath. He still wasn't sure what to make of Rhea's sudden shift in attitude, but... it felt good. Like a weight he hadn't realized he was carrying had finally lifted.

Maybe things weren't perfect. Maybe there was still a lot they needed to figure out. But for the first time in weeks, he felt like they were heading in the right direction.

And that was a start.